Embrace My Fate
by LukeFangirl666
Summary: You don't need to follow Percy Jackson to be remembered as a hero by the historians. You may not have a forbidden parent to give you unheard of powers. And if you're not a trivial part of the outcome of the war, you can just make up your own fate.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: If I owned Percy Jackson and the Olympians then... well... I'd have better things to do then write fanfictions, wouldn't I? And these characters would be canon. Yes.**

Surely there were more interesting things for me to do in my free time than spy on Summer Thomas try desperately to strike up a conversation with Luke. It was a pretty sad attempt on her part. Of course, Summer didn't know she was doing anything wrong by questioning Luke on how he liked the field trip but she should have considering how "emotionally connected" the two of them were.

It was tragic.

Luke's walk was mechanical, staring unblinkingly ahead of him while he ignored all of Summer's questions and comments. A traitor really should know how to act like everything was all right, but I suppose everyone loses their cool a little with the most powerful weapon in the world in their backpack. Why the hell was Luke even here? He should have ran last night, but no. He decided to wait and head back with a god, a centaur, and a small army of demigods. That's not stupid or anything.

Shall we call it brave, maybe?

... I'll just stick with stupid, then.

I know a little something about bravery, and I can't really tell you if Luke has it or not. In a fight he's the most courageous person you will ever meet, but other than that it depends on your definition of bravery. Luke would never risk his personal well-being for another human unless he got something out of it.

That shows tremendous cowardice, even I help people in need. It's just so I can show off how much more talented I am than all of the other stupid stupids at this camp, but it's helping none-the-less. I'm like a superhero, really. A superhero that works for the Titans and kills people.

You know children would just love to read about me in comic books and stuff. And damn what Joe might say, I look hot in spandex and capes. I don't really like that red, white and blue color scheme most superheroes go for, alas. Maybe more of a dark green and black. Yes. That's it.

On second thought, I'm pretty sure that'd look gross. Ah well, when I'm a hero I can pay people to come up with a color scheme for me. If heroes do get paid. If I was a hero and I went out in public I'd want people to throw money at me. Except not coins. I've had that happen before and it's not actually has pleasant as one might think. Don't get me wrong, I like having a drachma give me a black eye. It looked badass. But it also starts rumors among the Aphrodite chicks that I get beat up by coins.

By now you're probably wondering who is awesome enough to become a superhero at the tender (... I hate that word) age of fourteen? It also doesn't matter that I'm not a superhero, Ares is my father, dammit! Ares is definitely a superhero, in his own special way.

Okay, Ares is the villain. But I'm proud to be his daughter, even if I'm not proud to be one of the Olympians. He's given me useful talents, and at least he beats Demeter or Aphrodite as a parent. Their children are so weak they don't even need to stay at camp year-round. That might be useful on quests, but it's not like I can't kill anything that comes my way.

Anyway, I got side-tracked again. You'll find that happens a lot. My attention span is horrible, I have ADHD like most demigods. It's totally not my fault. I'm Cynthia Wood, known around camp as... _"Oh, that boy from the Ares cabin that always tries to beat random campers up during lunch period?"_

... I don't try, assholes. I _do_ beat them up. Because I can.

And I'm proud to be called a boy on a regular basis. Despite my epic hotness (okay, I look like a pre-pubescent male that grew his hair out to brush his shoulder blades) people seem to think that boys make better warriors. I guess I have Luke to blame for that stereotype continuing at camp, but none of the women in the Greek myths were ever as famous as the men were.

The men were always stupid stupids that somehow got to be respected and awe-inspiring around camp. Even the girls wish they were more like Heracles, Theseus, Perseus, all of them. I can't really understand why. Yes, I want to be the best fighter this camp has even seen but that title doesn't come with not thinking and then using the most obvious attack methods available. Come on, fire will kill the hydra. It's not new news, yet boys always think they're being smart by doing the same thing as Heracles when they should be trying new attack methods. That's the problem with the muscular jockheads at this camp (yeah, I'm one of them, but shut up. I'm cooler than they are, because I lack a Y Chromosome. You know it makes me better.) they think that killing the beast is enough.

It's never enough to just "win" the fight if you don't _win_ it. Winning is not a matter of who comes out on top, winning is a matter of who can improvise and do things that no one here has ever seen. Trying to do that often ends up with my sword flying out of my hand, but at least it gave me a reputation. Not a good one, mind you, but that's not what I was going for.

Let's look at this a way you'll understand.

I support the Titans, and because of that we all know that they'll win, but say they don't? If it just turns out exactly like the first Titanomachy then it's not much of a victory. If the Olympians got the same warriors, did the same techniques, and tricked the Titans the same way then it's partly the Titans fault for falling for it again but the Olympians really should be more original than that. Now, if the Olympians assembled a whole new army that no one had ever seen before and did all these awesome battle strategies that would surprise the Titans then at least we could know that we lost to a good opponent instead of a fight-repeater. And no one likes a fight-repeater.

Woah, see how side-tracked I get? Uncool. Let's start back where all the trouble really began, even though I know you could listen to me talk about myself all day.

... I'd like to point out that a healthy ego does not make me like the Greek males. I'm still better than them.

---

"What the hell are you playing at, Luke?" I hissed in the traitor's ear after he finally drove Summer away with his lack of responses. "You shouldn't be here, you're totally gonna piss the Crooked One off-"

Luke raised an eyebrow, still looking directly ahead. I had to crane my neck to even see his facial expressions, he could at least tilt his head a little in my direction but Luke was not known for worrying about the shorter guy. "It's really quite sweet that you use phrases like "pissed off" to describe your master," he murmured sarcastically. I guess Luke was trying to make it look like we weren't talking, but I'm so used to my own screaming that whispers are kind of hard to hear.

"I also use "PMSing", think he'd prefer that one? But I actually use that on you mostly. For instance 'When you ignore Summer people will either think you're PMSing or a total bastard' and do you remember the last time I told people you were PMSing?"

"Yes, you tried to set me up on a blind date with Joe..." Luke rolled his eyes, again just assuming that I could see whatever he did.

I flashed him a grin, "So, yes, I assume there's some master Luke Castellan Plan behind walking among tons of demigods with-"

Luke cut me off, finally glancing down long enough to shot me a warning glare. "By all means, Cyn, go tell everyone here exactly what I'm doing."

"People don't listen to anything I say." It was the truth, sadly. You accidentally help the Hunters burn down all the cabins in Camp Half-Blood one time and suddenly you're an idiot. Gods.

"But mix a rumor with the knowledge everyone soon will have that a weapon of mass destruction is missing and someone must be able to piece it together." Luke growled slightly, and I resisted the urge to giggle at him. He got a lot less frightening if you had learned not to ever take anything seriously. Everyone knew the only thing we should be scared of was bunnies, yet people still worried about trivial matters like war and death and pollution. Stupid stupids.

I scoffed, "Stop being smart, kay? ... Smart smarts just doesn't sound good, Luke. It's really a crappy insult when you think about it."

"Oh, Gods forbid I take away your most immature insult."

"You're a butt."

"... Maybe _that's _your most immature insult."

"Damn straight."

Luke's lip twitched up slightly in a half-smile, "Do you have a purpose talking to me, Cynthia, or do you just want to display your awesome insults?"

"... Your face." I said lamely. I could formulate insults that actually made sense, but that wasn't nearly as much fun. And when you tried to provoke Luke you either ended up losing more blood than a regular human really should or got everything you said laughed off. With me he usually laughed it off, but I didn't like awesome insults getting overlooked.

He sighed, shaking his head slightly. "Go away, Cyn. I have _real_ things to do."

"No! NO! I have a purpose, I do!" I paused, waiting for some brilliant reason for my annoying of Luke. Nothing was really coming to me, though. Which meant I got to show off my awesome improvisation powers. "I am here.. because... Joseph Jordan wants me to... ask you out for him?"

Oh hell yeah.

Luke stopped walking and turned to face me. His eyebrow was arched aristocratically, it really was a good look for him. Normal teenager meets stuck up snob. "Cynthia. Real reason."

I whined, "That is my reason reason!" I squirmed a little under his stare, "Sort of." Luke nodded faux-encouragingly, signaling that he wasn't buying any of my excuses. "Okay, really, what are you planning to do with it?"

"I don't know, Cynthia." Luke groaned. "It has to get down to Tar-"

"Oh, that's so not happening," I said bluntly. "Luke. Think about this for realsies. You want to go down to-"

"You get to cut me off, I get to cut you off. That's how it goes." Luke grinned at me, "And you really need to pick better places to talk about this, kay? Go bother Summer or something, people are gonna start talking soon."

I rolled my eyes at him in what I hoped was a "Better Than Thou" way. "See you around, Luke. If you die I'm coming for you."

"That made sense." Luke's eye roll was far more impressive than mine was. I guess he had experience with looking down at people, but all I really did was look at the ceiling and then look down at the floor. Occasionally I looked left and right out of the corner of my eyes but Luke could actually roll his eyes. It was cool.

"Thank you."

I didn't really stop to think about exactly how impossible this would be for him. I pulled insane stunts all the time and no one worried about me, why would I do the same for someone else? Anyway, Luke was basically promising me a super-intense war.

I would enjoy that.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I still don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Give it time... give it time.

Luke had proved a lot harder to convince to stay than I had originally thought he would. I had even tried to work up a few tears to get him to stay, but when you're carrying Zeus's chief lightning bolt you don't really want to stay and hang out around camp for a really long time. It was understandable, but he wouldn't have had to leave in the first place if he had just disobeyed The Titans or given someone else his quest. How hard would it have been for someone like Ethan or Tegan to get the lightning bolt? They were disposable to Kronos's cause, I knew very well that if anything happened while I was at camp neither would make any move to help me like Luke would.

I don't miss Luke, if that's what you're thinking. The last time I confided in Clarisse she mocked me mercilessly for having a crush on the moodswinging son of Hermes, but it's really not like that. If I was any other girl it would impossible for me not to have a crush on Luke, but I'm not an average girl. I'm really more of an average boy.

Unfortunately, I do miss the protection that Luke provided despite his annoyingly superior attitude. All the other traitors (all two of them) seemed to realize how slim the chances were that they would live safely in camp once the rumors circulating the loss of Zeus's bolt got out at around the same chance I realized the same thing.

I didn't so much realize, really, as I had the truth shoved up in my face.

"Cynthia?" Tegan had always been a good tracker, but to have her sneak right up behind me was mildly humiliating.

I turned around slowly to faced the auburn-haired daughter of Hermes. Her wide emerald eyes traveled around the Ares cabin warily before her gaze snapped back to my face. "Luke was found."

I blinked uncomprehendingly at Tegan, "Found doing what? Who found him?"

"Delivering the bolt, Cyn." Tegan sounded annoyed by my questions, but I didn't understand the significance of what she was saying. I didn't catch on to things quickly, and Tegan had always enjoyed speaking cryptically and assuming I knew what she was talking about.

My eyes widened. "WHO found him, Teg?"

Tegan rolled her eyes, her lip curling up into a smug smirk. I could tell she was debating whether or not I was going to have to work for the information, it was such a Tegan thing to do, but then she thought better of it. Whatever Tegan was trying to tell me was obviously important enough to keep her from acting like a jerk, and somehow that made this whole thing a lot worse. "Your father, Cyn."

My lips parted in what I assumed was my body's impression of someone's jaw dropping. "But... my father is an Olympian.

Tegan nodded slowly. "Your father was sent by Zeus."

I shook my head quickly, braids whipping into my cheeks. "How do you even know this? If Ares found Luke then he... he wouldn't be able to send a message to us or anything."

"Kelli's IMed us about it, apparently she's with Luke wherever he is."

"The empousa? Why would Luke go to her for help? Doesn't he know she'll suck his soul out?" I scoffed. Luke had always been stupid about going on quests he could never win, but looking towards Hecate's children for help was just idiotic. Especially for boys, Kelli could easily drain him if he annoyed her!

"Right now, Cyn, we're all on the same side. So anyone with human intelligence understands that harming another Titans-supporter isn't wise. Unfortunately, even if none of us hurt each other, that's not saying we're not going to get hurt." At that moment, I really wanted to crush Tegan's skull in for speaking so calmly about things like Luke in danger.

About things like ME in danger. Some people...

"That's impossible. None of the Olympians know about us, except for Luke. Luke wouldn't rat me- us out. He's not like that." Okay, I was starting to understand why everyone assumed I liked Luke because of how much I stalked the boy. Talking like that wasn't going to help me shoot down the rumors, either.

Tegan raised an eyebrow at me. "So you think Luke the Traitor is that honorable?"

"I doubt he'd betray two causes in less than half a year."

"Why wouldn't he? You seem to think that he's already used up his free pass for betraying, but maybe that just made him an unreliable supporter."

"So, what you're saying is by now Luke's probably told Lord Zeus about you and Ethan?" I spoke slowly, trying to avoid saying the words I knew Tegan wanted to sink in.

"And you, Cynthia. Luke would have ratted you out, too."

"What do you suggest we do?" My voice was dangerously quiet, almost making Tegan seem loud. I raised my eyes to look the daughter of Hermes over, frowning slightly.

She grinned, "We're leaving, Cyn. Ethan and I are going, it's your choice if you plan on joining us but it would really be a same for you to die this early on in the war. Kronos could use you if you didn't insist on nobility in everyone."

I blinked at her, pursing my lips. This was one of the few times when I chose to listen to something other than my internal survival instincts, and Tegan was not helping me believe they're correct. "I didn't suggest nobility in everyone, Tegan. But I do believe that Luke wouldn't give the Olympians my name. So you and Ethan can run all you want, I'll be staying at camp."

I couldn't tell if Tegan was going to knock me out and drag me with her or laugh in my face. Both were very possible options for her. But she just grinned wider and nodded at me, "Well then, keep us posted, Cyn. As long as you survive, of course."

The demigoddess pivoted around on the heel of her combat boots and strode off towards the door of the Ares cabin, pausing for just a second with hand on the doorknob. "But, if you do intend to live at camp, don't just run away randomly, Cynthia. You're staying here, okay?"

I opened my mouth to question her motives behind this command but in an instant Tegan had flung the door open and disappeared outside the Ares cabin. I could never tell if she did that to look dramatic and graceful or if she really just exited rooms like that but I wasn't one to complain.

Of course not. I like Hermes brats showing me up at everything. It really helped my ego.

Enh. People say I need to work on humility anyway, maybe that's why I hang out with Tegan.

Or maybe she doesn't leave when I tell her to.

That's a bit more likely.

---

The camp was buzzing with gossip about Luke Castellan, Tegan Acton, and Ethan Nakamura's sudden disappearances. The Aphrodite girls insisted they heard first hand from Tegan that she was eloping with Luke and Ethan was going to marry them, but most of the Ares children believed that Ethan had killed both of them and then fled to New Mexico and killed himself.

I am proud to say I helped initiate that rumor.

But it wasn't petty rumors I was really worried about, and it wasn't petty rumors that would help me if Zeus came and smote me with a lightning bolt. I highly doubted the King of the Gods would listen to the Aphrodite girls gossip once he's gotten concrete evidence from a traitor that I, too, want Zeus dead.

Of course, if Luke hasn't been caught my Zeus and hasn't given him my name then it'll be impossible for Zeus to strike me down with a lightning bolt, anyway. Or, at least, he could strike me down with one of the mini-lightning bolts that would still kill me dead but it wouldn't be as dramatic as if he used the master bolt.

... Oh, I'm so dead.

I lay on top of my scratchy red blanket in the Ares cabin once again, swinging my arm back and forth over the edge of the bed as I scanned the pages of my book, not really absorbing anything I was reading. It was a fairly boring book, and it was probably meant to appeal to little feminist tomboys that really just wanted a peni-

Wait, no. That's me. Maybe little feminist tomboys that are *smart* and want a... manhood.

I just think that life would be a whole lot simpler if I was a boy- okay, we'll get to that later. Annabeth says that if I keep telling people I want to be a boy they'll think I'm weird, but that's only because Annabeth is supposed to be all wise and talented yet beautiful at the same time.

I just don't see it. I don't.

... Plus, she's an Athena kid. And everyone knows Athena is the absolute of the Olympians. She's a know-it-all that turned a poor mortal into a spider just for a little ego... and she's my father's enemy. That's just unforgivable. I love my daddy!

The door to the cabin swung open, banging against the wall as our beloved counselor strode into the cabin in a typical fit of rage. Her brown hair, so similar to my own except scratchier and unkempt, was pulled back into a ponytail and the orange Camp Half-Blood uniform was obvious a size too big, even for her muscular body. I have no problems with girls having freaky muscles, even though they're usually on steroids. I think it's pretty cool looking, I only have lean muscle but if they were giant I would have no arguments.

"Clarisse! My darling sister! How are you on this fine day?" I chirped cheerfully from my bunk, glancing up from my book for a split second to flash her a grin. Clarisse had live with me long enough to realize I was usually putting on a show when I acted fun and innocent, but it wasn't hard to annoy the daughter of Ares. I had never tried to not annoy her, but I had a feeling it would be harder.

She sneered up at me, "Chase got the Hermes cabin for Capture the Flag."

I pouted, "Annabeth? Doesn't the Hermes cabin always side with Athena?"

Clarisse frowned and rolled her eyes at me, as seemed to be the popular thing to do lately. "Luke never chose one side for long. The boy is a born traitor."

I blanched, "W-What?"

Clarisse quirked an eyebrow at me. "He always switched sides, remember? Like that time he just stole the flag back from Chase right after she got it?" She grinned slightly, "But now Luke left camp and I doubt Travis and Connor would make good traitors."

I shook my head quickly, trying to dispel Clarisse's perfect description of Luke. "Well, Ethan and Tegan are gone, too. They wouldn't be a useful ally."

"Why do you think Luke did leave? He totally screwed up the highlight of my week. I mean, The Stoll Brothers are pranksters but I doubt they're disloyal."

"I don't know, they don't seem like they'd stay in one place for long. They like change." I focused on Clarisse's offhand comment, trying to avoid answering her questions about Luke. I had fake theories, of course, but none of which I really wanted to share for risk of making Luke look bad.

Clarisse grunted. "So, why'd the stupid Stupid leave? He probably went off for a quest of his own, didn't he? Again? Just because he screwed up so badly last time." She snorted, "You were friends with him, right? Have you heard anything."

My eyes widened, Clarisse was an idiot but she always had a knack for understanding things even if she didn't believe her conclusions. I knew that if I made a minor slip-up she'd understand the truth. And she might be a lethal daughter of Ares but Clarisse didn't make things up just to spike a fight unless she specifically hated someone. And she'd always liked Luke, everyone liked Luke.

So instead I raised my palm for a high five. "Oh, my Gods! You say "stupid Stupid", too? Nice!" As our hands connected the book, Nobody's Princess, tumbled off my bunk to land at Clarisse's feet.

She blinked at me. "You can read? Don't you have dyslexia, Cyn?"

I shook my head. "Um, no, I don't know what happened but my brain's not hardwired for Ancient Greek. I guess I got that from mom's side."

"Why would you read, anyway?" Clarisse crouched down to retrieve the book from the ground, eyeing is warily despite the fact that I knew she couldn't understand what it said. "It looks like crap? You sure you want it back?" Clarisse grinned mischievously at me.

I scoffed. I knew where this was going, it happened almost everyday in the Ares cabin. I crouched in an animal-like position and sprang at Clarisse, "GIVE ME THE BOOK! ROOAARRR!" I wasn't really sure if the roar was necessary, but I felt it helped.

We scuffled on the floor for a few minutes until Clarisse started using the hard-cover book as a weapon, "NO. NO. CLARISSE. YOU ARE GIVING ME BRAIN DAMAGE! THIS IS A VERY REAL CONCER- OW. THAT HURTS YOU STUPID STUPID!"

The door swung open once again as Nobody's Princess connected with my jaw and I could just barely make out Coach sneakers at eye level. "This is making me gay," A distinctly feminine voice spoke from above me. Clarisse stopped brandishing my book and let it drop to the rough floor of the cabin with a clatter. I pulled myself up into a sitting position painfully (I spent all day in the arena and my sister was still better than me. So unfair, man. So unfair) and scanned the Juicy jeans that were obviously made for a woman, black and silver Billabong shirt and Cartier watch.

My lip curled up. This was what happened when Aphrodite tried to make a baby boy, it never ended well for the poor child. Joseph Jordan was a perfectly gorgeous girl, but you had to add the fact that he was a boy into the equation. And that just made it gross and kind of weird. He was prettier than most of the girls in his cabin, but no one viewed it as a good thing. "I don't really think you can make someone gay if they're already gay..."

"I didn't think two girls fighting could be a turn-off, Cyn. But... now I know." He was a horny Horny, but I was friends with him nonetheless. Mainly because he used to pay me to be his bodyguard, but it was obvious the poor boy needed some muscle to protect him from... everyone at camp other than his sisters. Joe just had a knack for pissing people off, despite his passive aggressive nature. I had only seen Joe really mad once, but surprisingly, it hadn't be as hilariously pathetic as one might think.

Joe had always been best friends with a brother of mine, Julian, who had been a typical Ares kid, but unlike most of us he could put up with people. It wasn't like there was anything going on between them, they just got along well. Then another one of my damn brothers called Julian a... very bad word for gays just because he hung out with Joe. Julian was perfectly capable of kicking his brother's ass without Joe's help, but that word had definitely struck one of Joe's nerves.

Joe left the experience with a cut on his knuckle, and Corwin left with less teeth than he had before Joe got to him. It was pretty traumatizing for any Ares child, getting beaten up by a metrosexual son of Aphrodite. But Joe, despite being the Aphrodite poster boy, was surprisingly different than his bubbleheaded sisters like Silena.

"Everything I do is a turn-off, Joe." I winked obnoxiously at the son of Aphrodite before getting consumed by laughter, "May I ask-" I paused in an attempt to gain control of my laughter. "May I ask why you're here, Joe? Aren't your sisters doing makeovers today?"

Joe looked taken aback. "No, that's Makeup Monday. Isn't Scandal Sunday today, Cyn."

I let out a high-pitched, doubting laugh. "Scandal Sunday?"

Joe rolled his eyes. "Silena named it."

"So, what happens on Scandal Sunday?"

Joe grinned. "That's when the Girly Army tries to get gossip out of the nymphs and satyrs about what's going on outside the camp."

"And?" I raised an eyebrow, the satyrs always had good things to say. Sometimes it was about saving the planet, but usually it was about new arrivals at camp and Ares children had to know about their opponents before they arrived. However, the nymphs did not offer such amazing gossip choices.

"Grover thinks he found one."

"Grover... isn't he the one that screwed up with Thalia, Luke, and Chase?" Clarisse piped up, after getting over the shock of Joe's overly feminine appearance.

I smirked, "Try to be a little considerate, Clarisse. Two out of three live-"

"Your both horrible people," Joe interrupted.

"Ooh. Backbone." Clarisse raised an eyebrow challengingly at the son of Aphrodite, but Joe appeared unfazed. Or he didn't realize she was trying to intimidate him. Yeah, it was probably the second.

I rolled my eyes at Joe's ignorant obliviousness, just going with the new eyebrow-raising-and-eye-rolling fad that was working its way around camp. "And what's so important about this new kid?"

Joe shrugged, "Silena said the satyrs couldn't - or wouldn't - say anything more. Which means it's either really important or really foggy."

Clarisse sat bolt upright. "You don't think he found another child of the Big Three, do you?"

Once again, Clarisse showed her natural gift for making perfect predictions. But I didn't realize it at the time. "No way. They wouldn't live to make it to camp. And that's so not what we need. I'm already like, the tenth best fighter at camp. I am not being knocked down to eleventh."

"Selfless as always, Cyn." Joe tipped the brim of his fedora to me and spun around, "Anyway, I must go tell the Apollo cabin. I'm pretty sure that girl with the gigantic bre- Anyway. Bye." The blonde disappeared out the door after granting me a cocky grin.

Clarisse and I stared at each other silently for a minute before I broke the silence.

"Was he always wearing that hat?"

A/N: Damn. I really make it sound like there'll be CynLuke, don't I?

There won't be. I'm not going to screw up canon really at all with this. I've already planned out what scenes Cyn'll be in and how to keep them almost exactly as they are. So, you know, yeah. I don't like it when OCs take over.

There will be something happening with CynLuke once I work it out, but there will not be a real pairing and there will not be one-sided.

SO. ANYWAY. DROP ME A REVIEW AND I'LL TRY TO MAKE THIS GOOD! :O

... Maybe.


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